Making some mental notes concerning Pip's business, Seth separated from Karina and got back on the way to his workshop. On the way, he came by the tailor workshops and suddenly had the thought to check up on Nädel.
If Mina's Set got ready soon, Seth thought it would be a good idea to give Mina and Fin their new gear simultaneously. A nice date ending in both of them getting something nice seemed like the way to go. He could even tease Fin a little by making a big thing about giving Mina her gear.
Thinking mischievous thoughts, the blacksmith turned toward the tailor workshops. It was early in the morning, but Seth knew that Nädel was a morning person. He was also tough as jerky, so it wouldn't surprise the Tower master to find Nädel didn't wake up early but simply worked through the night.
As expected, the door didn't stay closed for long once he knocked on it. However, the face he looked into was the articulated porcelain visage of Rún, his enchantment golem. As mentioned, the workshop helper was temporarily loaned to Nädel to take care of the enchantments for Mina's armor.
"Rún? Where is Nädel?" Seth asked, a little surprised. At this point, all that was supposed to be left to be done for the shadow panther set was the enchantment and potentially adding a soul later on. It should have been Nädel with little to do but watch Rún work. Instead, it as Rún with the free time to answer the door. The golem lifted his smooth finger to his lips.
"The old man has finally fallen asleep, master. Please speak a little quieter." The genius enchanter implored him. "He has been nagging at my enchantments all night long and only fell asleep a couple of hours ago," Rùn explained.
"I see, I just wanted to get a little update on how long you two will take to finish the set," the blacksmith whispered compliant. The golem froze for a moment, with the ceramic lips shaking slightly, as if he were mumbling something.
"It will probably take another 2 days," the golem informed him when he returned to the present. Had he just calculated that? Compared to Seth's enchantments, Arcane enchantments could take quite a long time.
But this was to be expected, as they needed a complicated setup that had little potential to be quickened. In exchange, they had a much higher potential than enchantments using engraving or inlays, the most common kind of enchantment a blacksmith could do. There was a reason why arcane enchanting was a whole other craft.
"Thanks for the update. Then I will get back to the workshop and take care of my own project," the blacksmith said, satisfied, and turned to leave.
"Do you not want to see the progress?" RÚn asked, cocking his head to the side.
"No, I trust the two of you. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for myself by looking at the unfinished product now," the blacksmith said with a chuckle and waved at the golem as he left to return to his own workshop.
He had procrastinated enough. The pendant and the two rings were already finished; all they needed was the spark of life. The soul that would give them the final touch. Although Seth was excited, he was also a little nervous. It wasn't because he thought he could fail at this point. There was no reason anything would go bad, but he couldn't help being nervous about doing the last step.
Maybe it wasn't about the items at hand, but what they would represent once they were finished... once they were given. And this was not only about proposing to Fin, but he also wanted to redo his vow with Mina.
The way they had become betrothed was a little awkward and more spontaneous than planned. It was a fun story, but… Fin deserved a proper proposal, and so did Mina. Once these accessories were done, he would face maybe his greatest task since the world was destroyed.
Planning the perfect date to ask two women to marry him. It would cement their relationship once and for all. No awkward, funny stumbling into it or joining as a third wheel. The blacksmith took a deep sigh and placed the items on the workbench.
Engraving their look into his mind once again, he brought out the
The spirit blacksmith had not refined or modified the soul, and he didn't intend to. Although it was a great way to create quality materials from low-quality ones or get rid of blemishes on the soul, it also had the potential to do more harm than good.
Having used his skill directly on her, Pithra had contained almost her complete ego, memory, skills, and traits. Trying to improve it could be the same as throwing a wrench in the gears. Before he did that, he was going to give the ego the same chance any other had gotten from him.
After all, an ego was a powerful trait for an item. It could allow the item to activate skills and buffs on its own, which could be a tremendous help to the owner. As Seth intended to split the soul into all three pieces, Pithra would become the ego of the whole set.
…
~Can you hear me?~ a voice suddenly asked, sending a shudder through her soul. She knew this voice. She had heard it for a brief moment right before her death. It was the voice of the beast that killed her.
~Just think of the answer if you hear me,~ he repeated. Although the voice didn't seem cold or angry, no, it even sounded friendly, the sound alone made her shake as she remembered her last moment.
Watching her subordinates just sink to the ground, lifeless, and then vanish in thin air. Her last moment, filled with pain and agony, feeling as if she was skinned inside out. It was no logical reaction but an instinctual fear toward the incomprehensible predator that reaped her life and soul.
But the fear that froze her initially also made her answer. What would this being do to her if she didn't answer now? She had been trapped in this darkness for who knew how long? The loneliness, silence, and cold were bad enough, but adding torture to it?
~I can hear you.~ she finally answered meekly. Despite her Iron Will trait, she couldn't muster the strength to put up a front. She was weak, insecure, and desperate, lacking the strength to hide her sorry state.
~Good. I have a deal for you. One that will end your current suffering and even give you a chance back on life. Although it will be nothing like your previous. ~ the honeyed voice answered.
This sounded too good to be true. She knew that, but what choice did she have? She lacked strength… and options. The degree of how pathetic she was could be measured by the fact that, despite feeling immense fear of the voice, she had actually been happy for someone to break the all-encompassing silence of her existence.
~What deal is it…?~ she asked hesitant.
~Currently, you are just a soul, the remnants of the dragonnewt once called Pithra. I will give you a body. It will end the silence and the cold. You will even be able to interact with the world and others again…~
Despite her mind telling her to stay cautious, she couldn't help her hope rise. If she had a heart, it would have beat faster.
~Except-~
~Except?~ she urged him to continue.
~Except that you will become the ego of a legendary item and have to serve someone of my choosing. Do you agree?~ The voice suddenly revealed the hook of the offer.
An item? Was she going to become an item? A thing to be used by others? Chief Pithra of the Dragonnewts would have never agreed to this kind of demeaning existence. But the soul of Pithra, which remembered her last moments in agony and had experienced the cold that came afterward, the silence, and the solitude.
~Fuck it, make me a thing!~
~Deal!~
With a spark of bright light, and soul contract was signed and finished.